How Eagles Came Back From The Dead To Beat Morocco 4-3

The home-based Super Eagles on Saturday in Cape Town, South Africa, came back from three goals down to overcome Morocco’s Atlas Lions 4-3 in extra time and advance to the semi-final of the ongoing African Nations Championship.

The victory brought back memories of 1989: when Nigeria came back from four goals down to beat USSR on penalties in the quarter-final of the U-20 World Cup and 1996: when a Kanu Nwankwo-inspired Nigerian U-23 side beat Brazil 4-3 in the semi-final of the football event of Atlanta Olympic Games after trailing 3-1 in the earlier stages.

The Nigerian side put up a lethargic display in the first half of the quarter-final match and the North Africans, who started six players from Raja Casablanca, capitalised on the their poor defending to romp into a three-goal lead within seven minutes

First Moshine Moutaouali chipped over a poorly positioned goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim in the 33rd minute before the impressive Iajour doubled the lead for Morocco off a well-taken free-kick that gave Agbim no chance four minutes later.

The game seemed over in the 40th minute when Moutaouali received a pass inside the box and shot past Agbim to make score 3-0 for the Atlas Lions.

But whatever coach Stephen Keshi told his boys during the break appeared to have worked as Ugonna Uzochukwu began the resurgence for the Nigerians.

The forward pulled a goal back four minutes into the second half and Rabiu Ali smashed home the Eagles’ second from the edge of the box in the 56th minute to make the score line respectable.

The Nigerians were not done yet and it was no other person but the exciting Enugu Rangers winger, Ejike Uzoenyi, that completed the extraordinary comeback for the Eagles on the stroke of full-time, when his shot from outside the box beat the Moroccan keeper Nabil Lamyarheri.

Substitute Aliyu Ibrahim sealed the historic win in the 11th minute of extra time. Lamyarheri fumbled a tricky long ball from Uzoenyi and Ibrahim gladly shot into an empty net amidst a sea of Moroccan legs to spark up rapturous celebrations on the Nigerian bench and on the stands.

In the other quarter-final match, Zimbabwe defeated Mali 2-1.

The Eagles, who are competing in the competition for the first time, will now play the winner of the match between Ghana and DR Congo on in the semi-final in Mangaung on Wednesday.